The disclosed invention is a novel toy that may be used by cats, dogs, ferrets, birds or any other pets that play with toys, though it is primarily intended for use by cats. The present invention relates to small toys that pets can bat and chase, bite, and carry in their mouths.
Pets such as cats, dogs, ferrets and birds are known to play with toys, providing amusement to themselves and their owners, as well as providing a form of exercise. These pets may display a variety of play patterns, including flipping, spinning, rolling or otherwise animating the toy by manipulating it with the paws or claws; batting the toy away and then chasing it; biting the toy; and carrying it around in the mouth. The more play patterns a toy can accommodate, the more useful it may be said to be.
U.S. Pat. Nos. D234,790, D234,789, and D236,148 to Rosenberg all show coiled pet toys that may be rolled easily, but lack protruding parts that may be easily bitten or grabbed by the pet. Also, they do not provide a means for the pet to scoop the toy up with its paw. U.S. Pat. No. D238,387 to Rosenberg shows a coiled pet toy that cannot be rolled or easily spun around by the pet.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,198,173 to Fisher teaches a coiled rawhide animal toy that can be rolled easily when in the configuration shown in FIG. 3 of his patent, but the two ends of the coiled strip are not easily grabbed by the mouth of a pet such as a cat. The invention disclosed herein has at least three strips with ends that can be easily bitten or grasped by the mouth of the pet, making it more useful for play than the invention of Fisher. Further, Fisher states in his patent that the use of rawhide is critical to his invention, while the presently disclosed invention may be made of colorful plastic and be manufactured inexpensively using the injection molding process thereby providing certain potential commercial advantages.
U.S. Pat. No. D308,122 to Markham et al. and U.S. Pat. No. D129,387 to McC. Beary both show a pet toy that may be easily rolled and might also be easily bitten or carried by a pet, but cannot be easily flipped, spun, or scooped up by a paw as can the presently disclosed invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,957,300 to Storry teaches a toy intended for humans comprising a coiled strip. The toy of Storry can be made to roll and spin easily, but because of its shape, it cannot be easily scooped up by the paw of a pet. It also lacks the convenient ends of the presently disclosed invention for the pet to bite or gnaw upon.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,256 to Viola teaches a ring shaped pet toy that accommodates a wide variety of play patterns, but does not roll or spin as easily as the invention disclosed herein.
The invention disclosed herein comprises a plurality of strips, preferably made of resilient material such as flexible plastic. The strips have ends that may be easily bitten or gnawed upon by the pet. The strips all connect to a common junction and extend from that junction in alternately opposing directions with some space in between the strips.
The strips are coiled or curved about a common circular path, so that the toy may be rolled easily by the pet when the strips are in contact with a smooth surface.
The present invention is a pet toy that provides a wide range of play possibilities not found in any single previous pet toy. It may be used for solo play when the pet is alone or for interactive play involving both the pet and owner together.
It may be easily made to roll by batting it with the paw in order to chase it. It may be rolled over smooth surfaces such as a tile or wooden floor or over rougher surfaces such as carpet or, in the case of a version that it is large enough for use by dogs, it may be rolled over grass or dirt. It may be rolled down stairs. It may be rolled by the animal or by the pet owner.
The toy may be made to spin or rotate around by manipulating it with the paw. Depending on the dexterity of the pet, the toy may also be made to tip over, tumble end-over-end, or flip. It may be tossed by the owner and caught in mid air by the pet either in the mouth or in the paws.
By inserting a paw into the opening within the circumference of the coiled strips, a pet may scoop up the toy in order to bring the toy to its mouth or to flip the toy into the air.
The ends of the strips may be bitten, gnawed, or chewed by the pet. The toy may also be easily grasped in the mouth of the pet and carried or dragged around thereby.
Other play possibilities than those mentioned above may be discovered over time as different pets and their owners play with the toy.